photo: Ben Noey, Jr
American Country
by Sherri Hayes
April 1986
Willie Nelson and Family played what you might call a pre-New Year’s Eve party in Lafayette, Louisiana, on December 30 before going on to Houston to appear with George Jones at the Summit on the 31st. After being at his Lafayette concert, several thousand Lousianians were ready to follow Willie to Texas to keep on partying.
Willie and Family appeared at the newly built $60 million Cajundome, which opened in November 1985. According to Cajundome box office figures, Willie drew a crowd of over 6,000 fans; but from the noise they made for him, you’d have guessed that 12,000 were there.
Many country entertainers these days come on stage only after a huge build up with lots of fanfare, drums rolling strobe lights flashing and a booming announcer’s voice. Willie doesn’t do that. Without any introduction whatsoever, he just walks out with his Family and picks up his battered old guitar. Willie doesn’t need any fancy introduction. His fans are on their feet before he ever hits the first guitar lick.
One of the most unique of Willie’s new recordings is on his “Half Nelson” album, a duet with Hank Williams, Sr. entitled “I Told a Lie to My Heart.” The recording was produced by Willie Nelson and Bill Ivey for the Country Music Foundation.
In a December 2, 1985, inerview Willie told Maria Shriver that “to find out that there was a new Hank Williams’ song that no one had heard, that had never been released and that I could possibly sing with him, was quite a thrill.”
Bill Ivey located the recording by Hank Sr. that had been cut as a demo in 1946 or 1947 direct to an acetate disc. It had been in a record collection in California for years, undiscovered, a previously unknown Hank Williams song.
Bill took Willie Nelson into the past and added Willie’s harmony vocals and lead guitar. Ivey explained, “Not like we took Hank and brought him up to the present; but as though we took Willie, put him in a time machine, sent him back to 1946 or 1947, and he was suddenly standing there in a little studio recording that simple demo performance with Hank.”
Linking the past with the present is what this recording is all about — giving life to the past through “I Told a Lie to My Heart.” The entire “Half Nelson” album is great, but this one is magnificent.
Among Willie’s other new projects is a partnership with Wrangler jeans. Future ads will focus on Willie’s “Wrangler life style.” Then there’s the “Red Headed Stranger’ movie that will be in the theaters in a few months. And, of course, there was Willie’s 1985 Farm Aid concert which raised approximately $ million. When asked if he’d do another, he said that June of ’86 is “way to far in advance for me to think”; but he didn’t rule out the possibility.
With Willie Nelson almost anything is possible. Not many other country artists could have attracted 6,000 fans to a concert the night before New Year’s Eve as Willie did.
Demonstrating their admiration for him, many people tossed Willie hats and caps for him to put on as he sang. This has been a tradition at Willie’s concerts for years. But the Lafayette group got a little rowdy. One man threw his sports coat, which hit Willie’s microphone, causing it to sway precariously. Another sent a neck tie flying. Willie caught it in mid-air and wore it too before throwing it back. By the end of the concert Willie had a stack of caps and hats at his feet.
The crowd didn’t neglect the other members of Willie’s Family, which include his sister Bobbie Nelson Fletcher on piano, Jody Payne on guitar, Bee Spears on bass, Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Paul English on drums and percussion and Grady Martin on guitar.
Immediately after the show the fans charged up to the stage hoping to get an autograph, a handshake and a chance to get closer to Willie and his Family. However, the security was tight, and only a select few got backstage with passes to see Willie. Quickly, after some handshakes, hugs, photos and autographs, he made his way out the back door toward the waiting tour buses, one of which is named “Honeysuckle Rose” after his movie.
From Lafayette, they were headed to the Summit for New year’s Eve with Geroge Jones. About 5,000 people in the Cajundome wished that they were going to Houston also.
All of Willie’s shows are consistently well planned, organized, engineered and staged. For this, much credit must go to the technical crew. I made a point of watching the men who worked the lights and sound, and I was amazed at their skill. They made everything about the concert flow with such ease.
Willie’s long time stage manager, Poodie Locke, is not only a technical genius, but also a fine fellow who wasn’t too busy to stop and chat with us for a minute. People such as Poodie who work with Willie clearly demonstrate the aspect of “Family” that shows so strongly in his stage performances.
All in all, this particular concert was a thrilling experience. You know, I think Louisiana loves Willie as much as Texas does.